A creative block can show up in many different ways. Perhaps you’ve just been stuck in avoidance or procrastination. Perhaps you’ve been caught in the research trap, constantly watching YouTube videos or tutorials. Perhaps you keep buying new supplies, gathering so much that you now feel overwhelmed by the choices or you actually forget what you have. Perhaps you have a loud inner critic that’s telling you that you aren’t good enough, so why bother. Perhaps you approach your journal tentatively, so afraid of messing things up or doing it “wrong”.

However you experience your stuck, if you try to force through it or yell at your inner critic to ‘shut up’ (or ignore it!), you’re only digging yourself deeper into the rut.

Look, we live in a world where the logical mind is King. Our culture, especially here in the US, relies so heavily on the mind and the “left-brain” way of thinking. We honor logic, structure, speed, control; so much so that we often let our minds run on auto-pilot. Your mind is used to being in control. To let go, so that you can create freely, is really scary and threatening.

If you’re feeling like there’s a force field between you and your art materials, you’re probably right. Your mind (aka ego, aka inner critic) will do anything to protect you. It will do anything to stay in control, the way you were taught to. It will do anything to protect your inner child or inner artist from getting hurt again. So yelling at it, or trying to force it to stand down so your intuitive, creative Soul can lead the way, will only make it stand firmer in place.

Your mind is only doing it’s job. And it’s scared to let go. The only way to loosen its grip, is to face it bravely with compassion. (The climax scene in Disney’s movie Moana comes to mind!)

TIP: Start practicing compassion with yourself. Then, start exploring: What would help your mind to feel safe enough to play in an art journal?

I have heard from way too many people that even though they know how much art journaling can benefit and impact their lives, they still struggle with the fear of messing things up, letting loose, not feeling good enough, finding joy in the process, or just not being able to start at all. Sound familiar?

And if you’re anything like me when I first started exploring the world of art journaling, you’ve probably put in hundreds of hours watching YouTube videos, bought all the “right” supplies, poured over your beautiful magazines and “how-to” books, and perhaps even taken a few art classes… and yet, you’re still feeling stuck. Now what?

What if… you were able to find everything you ever needed, right inside of you?

You already have everything you need. Your authentic Soul voice is bright, beautiful, and patently waiting to freely express itself.

So why does it feel so damn hard?

Look, I know all too well how easy it is to get caught up in the excitement of art journaling – buying all the new products, delving into the infinite possibilities of techniques, and exploring how other people approach their journal. I mean, ‘come on, it’s total eye candy, I love it too!!

But when we get caught up in all of that, we’re caught in our head. And we can’t access our heart or intuition, where authentic expression truly lies. Pile on our social conditioning to rely more on our logical “left brain”, and now we’re really stuck.

Let’s face it, the last thing you need is another tutorial or more art supplies. Save those for when you can really use them. For now? I’ve got a free mini series coming up that just might help.

To support you in getting moving on this path toward authentic expression, and in celebration of my yearly class Creative Soul Roots that’s starting soon, I’ll be sharing a series of Soul-Truths that will help you get clear on why you’ve been feeling stuck, and inspiration to start trusting in your Creative Soul once more.

So if you’ve been yearning to express yourself freely in an art journal, but still feeling stuck, not good enough, not knowing where to start, or just not able to find joy in the process, sign up below for this free mini series which starts Monday, Sept 18th.

Sorry, the Soul Truths series has now ended. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter below to get notified when I run the series again!

For the last many weeks, I have been in shock as to all of the ways people are lashing out in hate and all of the ways the earth has been crying out in pain. I have been feeling lost and sick watching it all happen. I’ve been struggling through the heaviness of it all. And yet… there’s also a fire growing within me. A fire of anger, and strength, and determination. A fire that is calling me into action. To align myself with who I truly am. To stand firmly in what I truly believe. To speak up when something is NOT okay.

Through all this, I’ve been getting more clear on how inner work is intrinsically connected to society, family dynamics, politics, and all that is happening around us. It is all so tightly interwoven. If I am here to support our Souls’ liberation, then I must also be a part of tearing down the systems that keep us locked up. I’m not exactly sure what that looks like for me yet, especially because I have never been an outspoken person, I like to keep to myself in my home, and I never used to pay much attention to politics. But I’ve been really listening these last few months, especially these last few weeks. And what I do know, is that the more firmly we can stand in our own authenticity and what WE believe in, the more others will be able to as well.

Most of us have been taught not to listen to or believe in ourselves, which has made it easy for society to shape us. But no more. We are waking up and we are reclaiming ourselves.

In order for change to happen, we all need to be able to stand firm in who we are and what we believe in. If we are to change anything that is happening out there, we must stop dilly dallying and get to work. And by “get to work” I don’t only mean the actions the world needs from us, but I also mean get to playing, get to living, get to BEing – because that’s how we’re going to be more connected to who we truly are so that the actions we do take are more rooted.

We’ve been relying on our fearful, analytical, perfectionist, controlling brain too much. We have forgotten our Soul, our true essence; which is full of compassion, of knowing (and not knowing), of love, curiosity, courage, and clarity.

I can’t imagine what the world would be like if we were all living from our true essence, using our brain as a helpful tool, rather than letting it rule the show with it’s unconscious patterns that were shaped by society.

It’s time to reconnect with the pieces of ourselves that have been hidden away, and find harmony within. I believe art journaling can be the playful way in which we can begin doing that; but yet I see so many struggling against their mind to even get started. So, to support as many people to get moving on this path as I can, and in celebration of my upcoming class Creative Soul Roots, I’ll be sharing a series of Soul-Truths that will help you get clear on why you’ve been feeling stuck, and inspiration to start trusting in your Creative Soul once more.

If you’ve been yearning to express yourself freely in an art journal, but still feeling stuck, not good enough, not knowing where to start, or just not able to find joy in the process, sign up for this free mini series which starts Monday, Sept 18th.

My hope is that once you let these Soul Truths settle in, you’ll know exactly how to begin and keep moving with joy, courage, and authenticity.

Sorry, the Soul Truths series has now ended. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter below to get notified when I run the series again!

I’ve held a BIG dream to gather a community of women to support each other in exploring our inner landscape with creativity for so long… and now that I’m getting closer to realizing this dream, I’m feeling sick to my stomach.

So much fear and worry and excitement has been bubbling up, I can hardly bare it.

I’ve been finding myself getting lost in thoughts, worrying about details that don’t really matter, worrying about whether people will want to join me, worrying that others are already building communities, worrying that my dream will fail…

Noticing this pattern, I started searching everywhere for help or tools or something to guide me in moving past all this to get back to focusing on what really mattered – taking steps to get me closer to realizing this dream of mine.

I’ve been fumbling for months; muddling through the fear and searching for answers, while still trying to get closer to my dream. That is, until today…

After sending out an OH SO SCARY, vulnerable email to a select few women, it hit me… I knew all along how to move past my fear and realize my dream. I’ve done it before. I could do it again.

And the answer is so much more simple than I had realized.

(And of course, this answer came from within, and not from my endless search for help. Oh how easy it is to forget that we have everything we need within! Sometimes we just need a simple reminder of the truth we have within us. Which is why I share my stories with you, and why I want to gather women to share even more stories.)

Anyway, back to the truth of moving past fear…

I realized that the answer was simple: Stay in the moment and take one tiny step at a time.

Simple. Right?

But it’s not so easy to remember when we’re caught up in fear, lost in our mind’s thinking. But when we finally remember… oh how powerful it is!

It’s the same technique I used to get myself across the country for my first scary trip alone. And it’s the same technique I teach in my class Roots to help others get past their creative blocks – to simply get present and focus on the one tiny step in front of us.

I like to think of my mind as a computer that can only think about the past or the future (which often generates fear, or uncertainty, or guilt, etc). But when we get present in the here and now, that’s the realm of the heart and our intuition. That’s where we’ll find the courage to move forward.

When traveling across the country alone, I was only able to get past my fear by telling myself to just focus on that next step: “Okay, all I have to do is pack my bag.” Then, “Okay, all I need to do is set my alarm for 6am.” Then, “All I need to do is get in the car.” Next, “All I need to do is drive to the airport.” And so on.

Putting hyper focus on the one tiny step in front of you… there’s no room to think about what might happen next. There’s no room for the fear to step in.

And when you have that level of focus and forward movement, there’s no telling what dreams you’re capable of accomplishing!

What one step are you willing to take next?

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about my upcoming community, send me an email! I’ll only be opening it to a small group of women to become the founding members as we grow the space. Will you be one of them?

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~George Bernard Shaw

We look to others who seem free and full of life, playfulness and creativity, with a longing, hopeful heart. And yet we stand here, arms upon our hips, rigid and firm, struggling in pain to hold tight onto an identity that doesn’t quite fit.

Why?

If we so deeply feel the urge to let it all go, to dance in the rain, to feel the wind upon our face, to dip our fingers into the paint… why do we still stand here, pretending to value our nicely kept homes and hard work over our joy?

I know you can feel deep down how much you NEED creativity in your life. How much you NEED to just let loose and express yourself. Many of you have told me.

And yet, here we still sit. Letting our minds hold onto this rigidness and fear. And I say WE, because yes, I too feel this struggle day after day… even after years of honoring my creativity.

Our minds are funny that way… we can see the value in play and creativity, we feel the need to create; and yet our minds tell us we can’t. There’s too much risk, we’re not good enough, we have too much work to do.

We’re stuck between two worlds.

Society has shaped exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth; yet recent studies are showing us that play and rest are essential. Dr. Stuart Brown, a psychiatrist and clinical researcher, argues that play is not an option.

He writes, “The opposite of play is not work – the opposite of play is depression.”

There’s a part of us that knows this is true. Yet there’s another part of us who still wants to fit in to the norm, to prove our self-worth through societal standards. We are stuck in between, and don’t know which way to turn.

But should we stay here, refusing to choose? NO. Our refusal to choose joy for ourselves right now in this moment, is our refusal to help shift our society into a new way of living that matches our beliefs.

It’s time to act on our belief that we need rest, that we need play, that we need creativity, that we need JOY.

Not only for ourselves, but for our children, for our community, for our world. We have seen enough pain and suffering. We’ve been feeling the confusion and doubt and uncertainty all around us. And yeah, there’s a part of me who just wants to crumble beneath it all. And still, there’s another part of me who wants to rise up and embrace the beauty and wonder and joy in this world… because I know creativity and play are powerful healers.

It’s time to shake loose my friend! Wiggle those fingers. Wiggle those arms. Roll your shoulders. Start to sway from side to side. Let the wiggles roll through your entire being! It’s time to consciously choose joy, one moment at a time.

Let us not wait until the day that permission is handed to us on a silver platter. Let us choose it NOW and help spread the word.

Your mind will fight against it. But what I’ve learned, is that the more I choose play and joy and creativity, the more I remember that letting go will not undo me. The more I remember that this is what fills me up. This is what allows me to be even more productive. Allows me to love more. LIVE MORE.

Our letting go will not undo us. Let us prove our minds wrong, one baby step at a time.

Are you ready to say YES!?

Here’s eight easy ways to start saying yes to play and creativity (and start proving to your mind that there’s nothing to fear!)

#1. Make it a habit to doodle on the foggy mirror with your finger after every shower.

#2. Spend some time with young children – kids are masters at play and creativity, let them lead the way!

#3. Challenge yourself to do a little doodle each day – I’m in love with the book Year of the Doodle by Dawn Sokol! I can’t always remember to do it everyday, but when I do I don’t beat myself up for forgetting and I play quickly without worrying about what it looks like.

#4. Head out for a walk or day trip without a plan. Keep an open, curious mind and see what you can discover!

#5. Start super small. For example, if you’re called towards art journaling or another creative act that feels huge and overwhelming, start by practicing showing up and committing to just one minute of play with paints or crayons.

I'm Kristal: an artist, writer, creativity guide and inspirationalist. If you're ready to fully reclaim your true creative self, then you're in the right place...
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About Kristal

Kristal is a creative life coach who helps women reclaim their creative magic, reconnect with their Soul, and realize their innate magnificence so they can lead a more authentic, fulfilling life. Click here to read more...